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Gripen

Category: GRIPEN NG

Saab is pleased to invite media, financial analysts and investors to the yearly Gripen seminar in Stockholm, 12 March 2015. During the seminar, Saab will give an update on the current status of the Gripen programme.

Sweden has ordered 60 Gripen E and a contract with Brazil on 36 Gripen NG was signed in October 2014. The interest for both Gripen E and Gripen C/D is increasing around the world.

The yearly Gripen seminar gives an update on the status of the programme.

Ulf Nilsson, head of Saab business area Aeronautics and Jerker Ahlqvist, head of business unit Gripen will be the participants.

The seminar is scheduled between 8.30 and 9.30 CET on 12 March 2015.

The seminar will be broadcasted live on http://saab-seminar.creo.se/150312. It is possible to post questions also over the web. All presentations, the webcast included, will be published on Saab’s web site. ​

​Saab has selected AEL Sistemas (AEL) as a new supplier for the Gripen NG in Brazil. AEL will provide the wide area display (WAD) and the head-up display (HUD), which will be integrated in the Gripen NG for Brazil as part of the F-X2 contract. The WAD and HUD development programme commenced in January 2015. Saab and AEL have also signed a contract for transfer of technology.

The new avionics systems programme will run over four years and includes development, integration and production work to be performed in Porto Alegre. System integration work will be undertaken by Saab and Embraer.

The WAD for Brazil’s Gripen NG aircraft is a single intelligent and full-redundant multi-purpose display system, full-colour, large-screen (19 x 8 in) with continuous image presentation and the state-of-the-art touch-screen controls capability. It is the primary source of all flight and mission information in the cockpit.

AEL will also develop a new HUD for Brazil’s Gripen NG aircraft. The HUD provides essential flight and mission information to the pilot when looking ‘heads up’ out of the cockpit.​

​Last week, South African Air Force Gripen completed the actual launch of an A-Darter missile. The missile successfully reached the target, which was an unmanned aircraft flying at a 600 meters higher altitude, reports Airheadsfly.com.

As a part of this test, the rocket was launched towards a remotely-controlled aircraft in order to test the maneuverability of the missile. The heat-guided weapon is designed to perform while sustaining up to 100Gs, with targets within a 12 miles radius. The A-Darter’s sensor-eye can spot the difference between the target aircraft’s infrared signature and flares the bogey might launch to fool the missile.

Portal Brazil quoted the project manager for Brazil, Colonel Julius Caesar Cardoso Tavares, saying that the main feature of the latest generation of missiles is their ability to perform high-performance maneuvers.

"The guidance sensor detects the target and the missile also calculates the best route," said the Colonel.

A-Darter does not have small wings that are used for maneuvering. Instead, it can direct the thrust of its rocket engine, performing maneuvers while sustaining up to 100Gs.

The report adds that the A-Darter is now 90 percent ready. South Africa’s Denel Dynamics is the leading company of the project.

Designed for easy deployment at any air base, Gripen has a tiny logistic footprint. It can be turned around in 10 minutes by only five people, and the entire engine can be swapped in the field in less than one hour.

​Threat scenarios are changing everyday, giving ample reason for the operational requirements to change as well. Users no longer want a specific aircraft for each operational role. They look for a system that can undertake all roles.

Gripen NG is among the first aircraft to focus on more than air-to-air combat. This means that it can cover a full range of mission requirements, saving customers the cost of owning separate bombers and fighters. The fighter aircraft can seamlessly change between roles within a single sortie if needed. Gripen NG can perform a wide range of missions, from offensive and defensive counter strikes to air policing and tactical air reconnaissance.

Here are some of the important things you ought to know about Gripen.

Information Support

During a live mission, knowledge means everything to a fighter aircraft pilot. It is very important for the pilot to identify enemy assets and share intelligence with wingmen. What is equally important is that all the information should be available in a clear, clutter free way; only the required information should be visible on the screen.

Gripen NG is equipped with MFS-EW (Electronic Warfare system), which is a complete, highly integrated suite that includes radar warning receiver, missile approach warning, electronic support measures and countermeasures.

The next generation fighter aircraft also has features like IRST which provides passive situation awareness at long range against air and ground targets and ES-05 Raven AESA radar which tracks air-to-air and air-to-surface targets, simultaneously and independently.

​Saab has signed a new industrial co-operation agreement with the Malaysian company Defence Technologies Sdn Bhd (Deftech), a wholly owned subsidiary of DRB-HICOM Berhad. The intent is to deepen and broaden the existing relationship between the two companies by adding the Gripen system to their joint planning.

This new agreement between Saab and Deftech outlines planned industrial cooperation which will explore areas of technology transfer and bring further expertise to Malaysia.

In 2011, the two companies signed an industrial co-operation teaming agreement to collaborate on an airborne early warning and control system. This co-operation was further expanded in March 2013 with the signature of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) covering various technology areas. Today’s agreement brings the partnership between Saab and Deftech to a new level.

​"Sweden is proud to be one of Brazil’s strategic partners and the Gripen deal is a win-win situation for both countries," says Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Löfven on his visit to Brazil recently.

As a part of this visit, Löfven went to see the Embraer’s production unit outside Sao Paulo. He also gave a speech at the Swedish-Brazilian Chamber of Commerce in Sao Paulo where he stressed the advantages of investing in and trading with Sweden.

Last year, Embraer and Saab signed a Memorandum of Understanding, according to which, the former will perform a leading role in the overall programme performance as well as undertake an extensive share of work in the production and delivery of both the single and two-seat versions of the state-of-the-art Gripen NG aircraft for the Brazilian Air Force.

​Saab's naval version of Gripen E for the Brazilian Navy might be a step closer now, reports Airheads Fly​.

According to the report, the Aviação Naval Brasileira (AvN) may opt to initiate dialogues regarding the development of the naval version of Gripen E, also known as Sea Gripen.

The Sea Gripen is intended for both CATOBAR as well as STOBAR operations. All the sensors, avionics and weapons and the GE 414G of the Gripen NG will be offered in the Sea Gripen. The small logistic footprint, high availability and a smaller, lighter airframe results in significant gains from a maintainability point of view. The Gripen spares inventory is therefore lighter, smaller and adds less to the load of the carrier and it takes fewer personnel to maintain the aircraft.

The Sea Gripen will also have superior sensor fusion abilities, the Selex Raven AESA radar, Infra-Red Search and Track, plus a revolutionary avionics architecture including ultra-fast databuses and Ethernet. The system can be easily integrated with advanced weapon systems

​In an interview with Diário do Grande ABC, FAB pilot Captain Gustavo de Oliveira Pascotto talks about his first flight in Gripen, his experience at the Swedish Air Force Base in Satenas and the knowledge he will transfer to all the units back home.

“It was great to get an opportunity to fly an aircraft like Gripen. The high engine performance during maneuvers and the integrated systems exceeded expectations. What surprised me the most during the flight was the full integration of systems and sensors, automatically managed by the aircraft,” he says.

About his experience at the Swedish Air Force Base, Captain Pascotto says the F7 Air Base is a facility with full infrastructure for operational air activity, and supporting staff is extraordinary. Personal and professional rapport with the squadron pilots was the main reason behind his easy adaptation at the Base.

On being asked if he would like to give any message to aspiring pilots, Captain Pascotto said that aviation is more than a dream, considering the amount of effort that goes into becoming a fighter pilot.

“But undoubtedly, the effort is worth it in every way. I believe that it should be the same in all professions, actually. For those who wish to serve our country under the wings of the Brazilian Air Force, who wish to work for the air sovereignty of Brazil, aviation will certainly be a vibrant and promising profession. I would like to repeat the words spoken 17 years ago by my ...

“It felt like I was in one of the world’s most modern fighters, perhaps the most modern. I have absolutely no doubt that Brazil has made the right choice. It is impressive how much information the pilot has at his fingertips. It feels like you are at the spearhead, fully equipped to defend your country”, said FAB pilot Major Renato Leal Leite who flew the Swedish fighter aircraft last year.

For a successful mission, having the right information and situation awareness is very important. It is also important that the pilot has the information filtered as per his or her requirement. A Gripen cockpit is an unrivalled mix of simplicity and sophistication. Its layout has three large colour, Multi-Functional Displays (MFD) and Hands-On-Throttle-And-Stick (HOTAS) that give the pilot a superior combat advantage: ‘don’t need, don’t show’.

Gripen is fitted with the Tactical Information Data Link System (TIDLS) which enables the pilot to obtain qualitative data from other Gripen, increasing group information and situation awareness and eventually enhancing the capability of force interaction.